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85 Big Ideas that Changed the World

Posted by michael on from the mass-spectrometer dept.

ccnull writes "Forbes just put out its well thought-out list of 85 breakthroughs since 1917 (sneakers) that have revolutionized the way we live. This is interesting on a number of levels -- crazy trivia (the microprocessor and the answering machine invented in the same year!?), a reminder of the past (the modem: 1962), and a frightening realization that not much of interest has come out of the last 10 years (a whopping 4 of the 85 ideas). Easily digestible and worth discussing."

14 of 439 comments (clear)

  1. Recent Ideas by SpamJunkie · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The reason that our more recent ideas aren't on the list is because we don't know which are the good ones yet. Hindsight is needed to appreciate what we've been doing.

    1. Re:Recent Ideas by nedwidek · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The best example (from the list) of this is 1947 Cell Phone. How long did it take for that to revolutionize the world?

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    2. Re:Recent Ideas by Anonvmous+Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      "Has it revolutionized the world? I've never used a cell phone in my life and have no intention of ever buying one. There are pay-phones on almost every corner everywhere in the world."

      So what you're really saying then is that you're the only person on the whole planet?

    3. Re:Recent Ideas by Chiasmus_ · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The reason that our more recent ideas aren't on the list is because we don't know which are the good ones yet. Hindsight is needed to appreciate what we've been doing.

      Case in point: the article talks about The Modem: 1962. You really think a list compiled in 1972 would include that?

      It really does make me wonder about the galaxy of technology that has already been invented, has a functional prototype, and which no member of the public will ever see until the year 2045. If you had the means to seek out all that stuff, you'd probably find that our society is 50 years more advanced than it appears.

      For example, some of what I've read has indicated that recent revolutions in turbine technology (within the last 3 years) make it possible to run the world's power grid entirely with windmills on farms and hydroelectric power. How long do you think it'll take that innovation to become significant to our lives?

      --
      "Beware he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he deems himself your master."
  2. The problem with recent ideas... by sterno · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The thing is that we don't have the perspective of history to indicate to us what will have long term relevance. I mean they listed Viagra on there. VIAGRA? I'm sorry, but the ability for an old man to get an erection is not one of the greatest innovations of the last 85 years.

    One thing I didn't see on the list was nanotechnology, which is going to hugely impact the future. We're only seeing it in limited ways so far, but 10 or 20 years from now it's going to revolutionize a lot of things. Also, one thing I noticed was that, while a number of inventions like fiber optics were created some time ago, it's only recently that the implementations have borne practical fruit.

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    1. Re:The problem with recent ideas... by donutello · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I have to disagree with you on that. Sex is a huge tool for personal gratification to us as humans. As such, the ability to have sex is a huge component of the quality of life.

      Given that over half the human population in this country is over 40, something that enables them to gratify themselves is a great innovation. You might not appreciate it now but you will when you are older.

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      Mmmm.. Donuts
  3. BUSINESS breakthroughs by upstateguy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Forbes lists their top 85 *business* breakthroughs...which slants things so that sheetrock is listed whereas the theory of relativity is not.

    1. Re:BUSINESS breakthroughs by micromoog · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Sheetrock has had a far greater impact on the world than the theory of relativity, regardless of its comparative simplicity.

  4. What of free software? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    In 20 years we may look back and decide that the free software movement represented a landmark shift in the way people view software, licensing and IP issues.

  5. Umm... missed one by m_smitty · · Score: 5, Funny

    Umm... I didn't see the female thong on the list.

  6. Re:Spandex by Pope · · Score: 5, Funny

    You apparently haven't been to a Wal-Mart recently. Many women who are wearing spandex shouldn't.

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    It doesn't mean much now, it's built for the future.
  7. Tetraethyl lead by smagoun · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Believe it or not, tetraethyl lead did change the way you live - it's just that the change probably happened before you were born, so you don't notice it. Tetraethyl lead was used as a additive to gasoline; it prevented internal combustion engines from "knocking." Knock is otherwise known as detonation or "abnormal combustion." It is one of the main limiting factors when trying to tune gasoline engines for maximum performance, efficiency, etc. Knock also severly degrades reliability and longevity of these engines.

    The discovery that tetraethyl lead could prevent knock was huge leap forward; it was a huge boost to the automotive industry, since it allowed manufacturers to build safer/more reliable/more powerful/etc engines.

    These days all we hear about are the health risks of tetraethyl lead (it's toxic as hell), but back in the early 1900's it was seen as a tremendous leap forward. Without it, cars, airplanes, etc would be very different today.

  8. 85 ideas and some gross mistakes by Cinabrium · · Score: 5, Interesting
    In a first read, I have found:

    • A gross historical mistake, seen on the Forbes' slideshow:

      1954 -- Telstar The first commercial communications satellite is launched
      ... Three full years before the launch of the first Sputnik (as everybody knows, the first satellite).
    • A confusing approach: sometimes the "idea" is seen as the first theorethical approach to the problem (as cellphones) and sometimes as the first practical technology (videotape decks).
    • An many ommisions: if satellites are in fact a bright idea... shouldn't Forbes quote Arthur Clarke's invention of the geosynchronous satellite?? (Wireless World, August 1945)

    Oh, well! If History is taught in the U.S. as Forbes' "historians" show it, no wonder why Americans are so unaware of the world's reality.

  9. GOD BLESS AMERICA !!!! by The+Famous+Druid · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The real reason you have to wait a few years before listing it, is that you need to let peoples memories fade a bit before you can claim it was an American invention.

    Looking through the list, the inventions fall into 4 categories.

    1. American inventions, where their origin is made clear. They're quite careful to always list where the inventions came from, along the lines of "(asian/eastern european name) of the University of (somewhere in America)"
    2.Foreign inventions, where no mention of their inventors nationality is made. Fleming, the inventor of penicillin is one example.
    3. Foreign inventions that are credited to Americans who came along later. Television and computers are two examples.
    4. Foreign inventions that are credited to their actual inventors, and nationality acknowledged. I counted 3.

    What is it with Americans?
    Why do you feed the need to claim the credit for everything?

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    Quidquid Latine dictum sit, altum videtur (anything said in Latin sounds important)